A suture clip is comprised of a length of suture material with a male clip on one side and a female clip on the other side. The male clip may contain ratchets that, when engaged with the female clip, hold it in place and allow the male clip to adjustably lit within the female clip or even through it to “tighten” the suture when the male and female clips are engaged. The suture clips are configured to be used in a suture clip applicator that contains paired and opposing needles configured to hold the male clip on one side and the female clip on the other side and to cause the engagement of male and female clips and form a continuous loop through the suture material to enable the closure of fascia or other body tissues.

A device for suturing an incision in an artery has a handle, a supply of suture stored on spindle housed in the handle, a tube extending from the handle having a lumen through which suture extends, and a curved needle at a distal end of the handle, the curved needle having an opening through which a free end of the suture extends. A method for suturing an incision in an artery includes creating sequential openings in first and second flaps of the incision, with loops of suture extending through openings in one flap, with a free end of suture extending through the second flap being pulled through the loops and secured to another free end of suture extending through the first flap, to close the incision.

A method for resecting a lesion in a wall of an organ of a patient includes injecting a fluid into the wall of the organ at a location proximate to the lesion, creating a wound in the wall of the organ by cutting the lesion from the wall of the luminal organ, removing at least a portion of the fluid injected into the wall of the organ, and closing the wound using a suture thread. The portion of fluid may be removed prior to or after partially threading the suture thread into the wall of the organ.

Methods and devices are provided for anchoring suture to tissue, incorporating anchoring devices constructed substantially from suture. The anchoring devices are constructed as longitudinally extended, preformed knot configurations that upon deployment are reconfigured to form anchoring knots having an increased cross-section relative to the preformed knot configuration, for secure lodging in tissue. The anchoring devices are suitable for single and multi-anchor surgical procedures in soft tissue or bone, and multiple anchors can be delivered using a single delivery device.

A suture passing device includes a jaw assembly that is moved to an open configuration after exiting a hollow needle distal tip and moved to a closed configuration when retracted into the needle tip. The jaw assembly may include a pair of jaw members biased to a default diverging configuration. A suture capturing mechanism formed on the jaw members securely captures suture to both push and pull the captured when the jaw assembly is retracted into the hollow distal tip. The device may also include a second suture capturing mechanism that loosely captures suture and enables the captured suture to slide.

A method includes engaging a clamp over a length of tissue to be sutured. A helical needle is advanced along a length of the clamp such that the helical needle passes through the tissue to be sutured. A leading end of a suturing thread is attached at a tip of the helical needle. The leading end of the suturing thread is captured. The helical needle is retracted back through the tissue so as to leave the thread in place. The clamp is disengaged from the tissue. A device for automatic suturing includes a clamp configured to be positioned over a length of tissues to be sutured. A helical needle is configured to be advanced and retracted along a length of the clamp. The needle has a tip. A suturing thread having a leading end is attached to the tip of the helical needle.

A surgical instrument comprising a shiftable transmission is disclosed. The transmission comprises a mechanism for assuring that the transmission is in one of a plurality of predefined configurations.

An implant device for non-surgically repairing and augmenting internal nasal valve ligaments of a patient. The device is configured for tunneling a subcutaneously into the ligaments of the nasal valve and the surrounding soft tissues and periosteum of the adjacent bony structures, causing a tightening of the nasal valve ligaments and repositioning the nasal valve in adjustable fashion. The device comprises a barbed elongate implant that is introduced by tunneling subcutaneously into the nasal valve ligament allowing for structural re-positioning of the nasal valve cartilage structures and tightening of the ligaments, which is adjustable intra-operatively and allows for structural support of the nose and/or causes a change in the external shape of the nose.

A system and method for securing a medical implant within a patient includes disposing an anchor element around the implant, the anchor element including a pair of tabs each including an eyelet, and a flexible intermediate portion between the tabs, by positioning the implant within the intermediate portion and folding the anchor element such that the tabs contact one another. The anchor element is positioned at a desired implantation position with the tabs proximate soft tissue of the patient. The method further includes inserting a distal tip of a fixation element delivery tool through the eyelets and into the soft tissue, the fixation element including at least one tissue anchor and an adjustable suture arrangement coupled to the tissue anchor. The tissue anchor is deployed from the delivery tool and into the soft tissue of the patient. The delivery tool is withdrawn and the adjustable suture arrangement is tightened.

Devices, systems and methods for compressing, cutting, incising, reconfiguring, remodeling, attaching, repositioning, supporting, dislocating or altering the composition of tissues or anatomical structures to alter their positional or force relationship to other tissues or anatomical structures. In some applications, the invention may be used to used to improve patency or fluid flow through a body lumen or cavity (e.g., to limit constriction of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland).